Sydney Film Festival 2025 - It Was Just an Accident

 “It’s not his fault. He didn’t do it on purpose.”

Bristling, heated and focused, It Was Just an Accident is a revenge-filled rage against the regime that follows a group of formerly tortured dissidents who are given the opportunity to eliminate their suspected oppressor in a tense and morally ambiguous examination of justice and truth with a fantastic ensemble and assured rebellious direction from the legendary Jafar Panahi.

Discussion Points:

Jafar Panahi’s latest guerilla filmed thriller is a definitive example of explosive artistic expression under intense suppression. An absolute privilege to see this at its first public screening after its Cannes debut where it worthily won the Palme d’Or. The rebellious atmosphere behind the production is evident in every propulsive frame of Panahi’s illegally produced Iranian revolutionary statement. As a creative artist and filmmaker who has experienced firsthand the persecution of the regime, the anger in his characters is a palpable as they are given the opportunity to exact revenge on their torturer. However, the films morally complex story is brought to the foreground by the simple fact that they aren’t fully convinced their hostage is in fact their one time captor. If he is, then they will seek retribution. But if he is not, then they will have spilt innocent blood and be no better than their oppressors. The ensemble is absolutely captivating, bringing pain and anguish to their depictions of people abused for asserting their rights. The screenplay is frenetic and the pacing fraught, especially as things spiral further and further into moral uncertainty. Easily one of the best and most important pieces of cinema in 2025 - and a continued example of why Iranian filmmaking is so urgently needed in the global cinematic landscape as a voice for the voiceless.